MEADVILLE – After coming up one game short of entering the PIAA Class AA Softball Championships last season, Curwensville, perhaps, was able to make a statement that will carry over until the 2024-25 campaign. Although the Lady Tide came up short on Monday in a 1-0 final against Seagertown, they turned in a respectable showing against a highly touted pitcher in senior Mikaila Oberander.
“The last time we were in the state tournament was 2013,” Curwensville Coach Allen Leigey said. “I was so pleased in the way we played here. Tide Pride was on display all game long. They conceded nothing and kept fighting until the bitter end.”
“We pitched well and played good defense,” Leigey continued. “This team isn’t finished, and I am confident that they will slay the dragon of a district championship in the next two years.”
The Panthers came into Yesterday’s first-round contest with a 17-2 record and held the District 10 title in tow. Oberlander, in her 17 wins, had recorded 251 strikeouts and an impressive 0.78 earned run average with one no-hitter.
However, the Golden Tide has a pretty good pitcher as well in Addison Siple. The sophomore hurler finished the season with 16 wins and 221 K’s while recording two no-hit games and being a part of a third with Caitlyn Irwin sharing the mound.
While the loss to Seagertown will have to fester in the memory of the Golden Tide for another year, no one will have to walk away feeling like revenge is unattainable. With no seniors on the squad, the Lady Tide will look to the off-season to get over the sting of this season.
Neither offense was able to gain any headway as the pitchers dueled to a scoreless game through three-and-a-half innings. However, in the bottom of the fourth, the Panthers found a crack to push the game’s only run across the plate. A lead-off walk to Leah McGill opened the door for the hosts. After one out, an infield error put runners on first and second. Alyssa Arblaster connected on a Siple pitch for a double to center that allowed the winning run to score.
“We’ve been on the positive side of a miscue in a big game before,” said Leigey. “At this level, any mistake can cost you. An error aided our team in the state championship in 2009. We won that game 1-0 as well.”
Curwensville regrouped in the sixth inning to put a scare in the Panthers as Addison Butler opened the inning with a walk. Addison Warren, with a successful sacrifice bunt sent Butler to second, and she quickly stole third to further set the scoring opportunity. A walk and a stolen base for Natalie Wischuck with two outs in the inning put the go-ahead run in scoring position. However, Obenrader silenced the threat with her tenth strikeout of the game.
“A.K. (Siple) closed the door on a bases-loaded threat from them in the third with a strikeout,” mentioned Leigey. “That’s what good pitchers do when in a jam, they dig a little deeper for their teams. We saw two very good pitchers today.”
Obenrader finished the game with 12 strikeouts, giving up two singles, to Wischuck and Sydney Simcox, and walking three batters. Siple punched out seven batters while scattering seven hits and issuing four base-on-balls.
game on Monday in a PIAA Class AA first-round 1-0 loss to Seagertown. Leigey has been at
the helm for 23 years and finishes with a record of 306-173. (file photo)
The end of this season also brings about the end of the Coach Allen Leigey era. Leigey will finish his Lady Tide Softball career with 306 wins, three District 9 Championships, and two PIAA State Championships.
“I’ve always told my players that coaching Lady Tide softball teams was the best part of my job,” Leigey admitted. “All of the athletes that have come through here have made me look like a better coach than I really am. I have been given so many great memories that will be a part of me forever, but it’s time to turn over the keys to the Cadillac and give someone else a chance to make their own memories and keep the Lady Tide moving forward.
Score by Innings R H E
Curwensville – 000 000 0 0 2 2
Cranberry – 000 100 x 1 7 0
CURWENSVILLE – 0
(C) Addison Butler 2000, (2B) Addison Warren 3000, (P) Siple 2000, (RF) Natalie Wischuck 2010, (CF) Ava Olosky 3000, (3B) Ava Hainsey 3000, (LF) Sydney Simcox 3010, (SS) Briah Peoples 3000, (DP) Jenna McCartney 2000, (1B/Flex) Silvia Witherite 0000, TOTALS: AB 23, R 0, H 2, RBI 0.
SEAGERTOWN – 1
(SS) Alyssa Arblaster 4021, (CF) Kacie Mook 4020, (P) Mikaila Obenrader 2000, (C) Maddy Pratt 2010, (2B) Maggie Triola 3000, (1B) Rhiannon Paris 3020, (RF) Leah McGill 1100, (3B) Natalie Halsey 3000, (LF) Mackenzie Brauen 3000, TOTALS: AB 25, R 1, H 7, RBI 1.
Pitching IP H R ER SO BB WP
Curwensville – L – Siple 6 7 1 0 7 4 1
Seagertown – W – Obenrader 7 2 0 0 12 3 0
Batting
2B – Seagertown: Arblaster, Mook. SB – Curwensville: Wischuck, Butler, Simcox; E – Curwensville: Butler, Warren.
FINAL LADY TIDE SCOREBOARD
MARCH Score W-L
25 @Moshannon Valley 9 – 0 1-0
26 Juniata Valley 7 – 6 2-0
APRIL
9 Williamsburg 5 – 0 3-0
15 Purchase Line 11 – 1 4-0
16 @Glendale 5 – 4 5-0
18 @Claysburg-Kimmel 0 – 6 5-1
20 Glendale 2 – 0 6-1
22 @Juniata Valley 3 – 7 6-2
23 Brockway 17 – 1 7-2
Brockway 12 – 0 8-2
25 @Mount Union 5 -11 8-3
27 North Star 16 – 1 9-3
North Star 15 – 0 10-3
29 @Purchase Line 12 – 0 11-3
30 Moshannon Valley 15 – 0 12-3
MAY
2 West Branch 0 – 8 12-4
6 @ Union/Allegheny-
Clarion Valley 12 – 3 13-4
7 @Williamsburg 7 – 2 14-4
13 @West Branch 0 – 6 14-5
14 Redbank Valley 1 – 0 15-5
District IX Class AA Semi-final Game @Heindl Field, Dubois
22 Karns City 12-11 16-5
D-IX Class AA Championship Game @Heindl Field, Dubois
30 Cranberry 2- 8 16-6
June
PIAA Class AA State Championship 1st Round
3 Saegertown 0 – 1 16 – 7